Carol Purves

Goodbyes are never easy. But in this present pandemic climate they are even more uncertain. I am in the process of saying goodbye to a lovely couple who are returning to their work in India. They are due to remain there for one year. Because of covid, they are going to an uncertain situation; they do not know whether the disease will be more rampant there or whether there will be an easing.

Because of family illness they may have to return earlier. And then maybe have another goodbye. They may go abroad and then have difficulties returning to this country. All life is more uncertain. It always was uncertain; it’s just that we realise it more.

When I prayer to God for something, I hope He will answer immediately. But God doesn’t work like that. I always want everything to happen yesterday. God works to His immaculate timing. I applied for a job and then was impatient when the reply was delayed. In fact what happened was that a more suitable job came up which I was able to accept and the first job was not the right one for me.

I wanted to know whether to choose one course in life or another one. As I waited and prayed, more facts came to light and with God’s help I was able to choose the correct path.

As I get older I can look back and see how God has kept me from disaster because of His perfect timing. If my life’s planning was left to me I would go headlong into disaster. I give thanks for God’s restraining hand and perfect timing.

How strange life is. In this country mask wearing is now up to the individual except in certain places. This means that when we visit friends, which we’re now allowed to do, we ask ‘would you like me to wear my mask or not.’ We used to ask ‘Would you like me to take my shoes off.’ (especially if they have near white carpets.)

I suppose decades ago men would remove their hats and ladies their gloves. This pandemic is changing the way we live. So if I come to visit you, would you like me to wear my mask or not?

Idle gossip is so easy. We hear something from someone else, we’ve even forgotten who it was We are anxious to prove that we know what is happening, so we pass on this half truth. Then someone else picks up the untrue story and so on. In no time at all the terrible story has spread.

No wonder we are urged in the Bible to watch what we say. We might think our words are harmless, but they can wreck disaster..

What a powerful Christian song.

Lord, we ask to be transformed because in some cases in our society we are going down the wrong paths. Wrong it often regarded as right and right is regarded as wrong. Our standards have shifted. Evil is allowed to flourish. Wrong-doing is applauded. The pandemic has shifted our foundations as a society. We are standing on shifting sand.

Lord, we ask You to revive society. We are tired and flagging. those things we struggled for no longer exist. Friends and family have been distant; jobs no longer exist. Poverty is too wide-spread and family values undermined. What was normal is no longer normal. We do not know where to look for help. The world will never quite be the same again.

Lord, we pray for healing. Hurt is rife, relationships are broken and neighbourhood friendships splintered. We no longer have faith in what we read or the news we hear. Scams intrude into every corner of our lives. Friends have become foes, companions, enemies. A healing balm is needed. rifts have to be healed.

There is only one place where there can be transformation, revival and healing. That is in You. It is only by looking to You that we will recover. If our towns, cities and communities flourish, then so will we. It is in our turning away that we have floundered. We turn to You, the healer, restorer. May the church rise up and be a beacon and a leader in the affairs of men. Lord, we cry to You, we need You.

I was beginning to despair about my failings. I wasn’t doing enough or I was doing too much. I wasn’t appreciative enough or kind enough of my friends. I wasn’t praying enough. I wasn’t reading my Bible enough. The list went on and on. I was full of negative thoughts, no doubt prompted by the devil. He is very active.

Then I read the following from the Bible (which I did not read enough). ‘My sheep listen to my voice. I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life and they shall never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand ………… no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.’ John 10:27-29

I still don’t read the Bible enough or prayer sufficiently. But no-one and nothing can snatch my out of my Father’s hand. Fortunately it doesn’t depend on me; it depends on Him.

I recently went to a wedding which I felt was truly inclusive. The bride was from Estonia and the groom from England. They had previously been married in Estonia a few weeks previously where the brides family and friends and were able to be present. Now they were having a ceremony for the groom family and friends in England. Because this was 2021 it was not possible to easily move between countries.

Every age was represented by the guests; a few children, one baby in arms right through to older people. It was also inclusive in that the ceremony took place in an old English church being used by modern guests. The outfits worn by these the guests were those befitting for the 21st century.

As the photos were taken after the service , those of us who were not part of the family rested on the tombstones of those who had died hundreds of years ago. The sun under which we basked was the same as it always has been and always will be.

Some of you will know about my wild flower garden which this year is more like a wild grass garden. But the grasses are lovely. I have discovered that most of it is Timothy grass, about a metre high. Though I haven’t been able to find out why is has that name. It has long cylindrical flower heads (more seed heads really) and is good for horses. It gives them shiny coats and is good for digestion. (Not that I’m planning having any horses in my garden.)

Whenever we have good weather I sit out in the garden and it feels like sitting in a field. Even a gentle breeze make the heads sway and the whole effect is most calming. I don’t need to travel to the countryside. I have it here right in my garden. Whenever I need to relax and unwind, a short spell in the garden is all I need.

If we trust God, I wonder why we worry. He asks us to trust Him, but we still become anxious. Maybe we take our problems to God and instead of leaving them there, we keep them with us. It’s as if we enjoy worrying. Surely that’s not so. Nor is it usually that we don’t trust God. We do, we sing the words and think we believe them in our hearts. But we don’t join up the dots.

I suppose we can’t do it in our own strength; we need the help of the Holy Spirit. We want to look to God and not the problems. Maybe practice makes it easier. By reading scripture more, we might instil trust in God in our minds. We could be helped by discussing this problem with other Christians. Surely I can’t be the only person who has a problem with worry. As the hymn writer says’ Have we trials and temptations, take it to the Lord in prayer.

A few years ago I used to drive long distances and often I got lost. With the help of a map ( I didn’t have satnav then) I soon got my bearings and continued on my journey. It didn’t matter a lot , except for some lost time.

Unfortunately, we also get lost in our lives, spiritually, morally and socially. This can mean we mix with the wrong company, go the to the wrong places and read the wrong kind of literature. We can have problems with relationships and journey down cul-de-sacs and blind alleys. This is an import kind of being lost.

The map we need for these problems is the Bible. The answers and route maps are all there if we search for them. I mean search, not just look. It takes effort on our part, but the rewards are worthwhile.